The flood situation has worsened in Uttar Pradesh following the heavy rains and release of water from Banbasa barrage in Nepal that have flooded all the major rivers, throwing the lives of people living near the banks out of gear.
The death toll in the flood and rain-related incidents in the state has risen to 118 with two more deaths reported during the past 24 hours.The floods have affected around one million people in 47 tehsils of 12 districts of the state and have inundated more than 800 villages. Reports received from Gonda and Barabanki said that due to heavy rain and release of water from the Banbasa barrage in Nepal, the Ghagra and Saryu rivers have inundated around 300 villages in both the districts.The flood waters have inundated around one lakh hectare agricultural land.
According to a rough estimate, over ten lakh people have been displaced from their homes. In Bahraich and Siddharthnagar also, the flood situation has deteriorated due to heavy rain during the past 24 hours.In lakhimpur Kheri, one lakh people of 134 villages have been affected while in Sitapur, 1.19 lakh people have been displaced in 32 villages.
The central flood control office said the Ghagra river was flowing above the danger mark at the Elgin Bridge in Barabanki district. The river was flowing above the danger mark in Ayodhya and Ballia and was rising. The Sharda river was flowing above the red mark at Palia Kalan in lakhimpur Kheri district. The river Ganga was flowing close to the danger mark at Fatehgarh and was rising all along its course in the state.The Rapti was also touching the danger mark at Bahriach, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthngar and Gorakhpur and was rising all along its course.
The Burhi Rapti was flowing above the danger mark at Siddharthnagar while the Kwano was near the red mark at Gonda, Basti and Sant Kabir Nagar. The flood control officials said that the other rivers in the state were flowing below the danger level but were rising due to heavy rainfall in the catchment areas. The weather office here said the highest rainfall of 85 mm during theast 24 hours was recorded at Siddharthnagar, followed by 60 mm in Varanasi, 50.4 mm in Sitapur, 50 mm in Gorakhpur and 45 mm at Allahabad. The weatherman has forecast heavy rainfall in eastern UP along with scattered rain in other parts of the state during the next 24 hours.
